


The Grass Is Greener

by fire_within



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Alternate Universe - Summer Camp, Alternate Universe - Teenagers, Castiel and Jimmy Novak Are Twins, Friends to Lovers, M/M, Recreational Drug Use
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-02-23
Updated: 2015-07-10
Packaged: 2018-03-13 11:38:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 12,764
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3380138
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fire_within/pseuds/fire_within
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When Castiel Milton goes to summer camp before his senior year he believes he's in for the worst summer of his life. Then he meets Jimmy Novak, a troublemaker from the other side of the tracks who just happens to look exactly like him. When they decide to trade lives at the end of camp, Castiel gets wrapped up in Jimmy's world including his controlling aunt, his reputation as a bad boy, and his unbelievably gorgeous best friend in his quest to see if the grass truly is greener on the other side.</p><p>***TEMPORARILY ON HIATUS, SEE CHAPTER 1 NOTES FOR DETAILS***</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> ***TEMPORARILY ON HIATUS***  
> I apologize but I've been taking a short break from writing due to some recent health issues. I hope you return to this story (and bring you new ones) soon. Muchos lovos bros and lady bros.
> 
> From this prompt found on Tumblr:
> 
> http://destielfanficprompts.tumblr.com/post/92667194235/subbycas-hasmoved-parent-trap-au-where-jimmy
> 
> "parent trap au where jimmy and cas meet at a summer camp and decide to swap places for the rest of the summer. when cas goes back to jimmys family he meets jimmys best friend dean winchester and falls head over heels for him."
> 
> May have added a splash of "The Prince and the Pauper" mostly on accident.
> 
> *Rating and tags subject to change as I continue the story. If you feel a tag is missing and should be added, please let me know.
> 
> Unbeta'd. Any and all mistakes are my own and I shall flog myself as needed upon their discovery.

It is officially the worst summer of Castiel Milton's life. Only two weeks into his 'vacation' and he feels quite confident that in all his seventeen years, and almost certainly in all his remaining years as well, he has never had such a miserable time. Camp Onondaga in Central New York's finger lake region might as well be a detention center for juvenile offenders as far as Castiel is concerned. Why anyone, let alone his own loving parents, would send their child here is beyond him.

For starters, he is always sticky with sweat since none of the buildings, not even the cafeteria or the campers' cabins, has air conditioning. Not even those clunky wall units that only seem to cool the ten feet of air directly in front of them. No, there are just lazy old ceiling fans that do little more than push the hot air around. Activities such as nature hikes, arts and crafts, and team building exercises that many refer to as 'forced fun' behind the counselors' backs make him want to drown himself in the lake. Then, of course, there are the shining examples of delinquent riff raff themselves. He wants as little to do with his peers as humanly possible. Which is why he is having such a difficult time processing why one of them has grabbed him by the collar of his navy polo shirt and is currently rearing his fist back to punch him in the face.

The confrontation erupts into a whirlwind of violence as more boys jump into the frey. It takes several camp counsellors to break up the fight but eventually they are able to pinpoint a small group of boys they suspect to be at the source of the discord. Somehow, Castiel is included in the group who is sent to the administrative cabin to discuss disciplinary action for their behavior.

Zachariah Adler, the director of Camp Onondaga, steps out of the cabin eyeing the three teens milling around its front porch through narrowed eyes. "Mister Milton, Mister Crowley, and Mister Novak," he addresses them in a voice that seems to drip with irritation. "Step inside. I believe the four of us are in need of a little chat." The balding man quickly turns on his heel and strides purposefully back into the cabin toward his office knowing the boys will follow.

The tiny office is made even smaller by the oversized oak desk Mister Adler has managed to cram into it. Before the desk sits an old loveseat that has clearly seen better days, the only seating in the room besides Adler's own desk chair. The boys are able to arrange themselves, albeit uncomfortably and with a bit more shoving than strictly necessary, on the tattered piece of furniture. Adler regards the trio as he sits hunched over the desk, fingers steepled in front of him. He suddenly shifts to lean back in his chair and directs his gaze at Crowley.

"It's my understanding, Fergus, that you instigated the altercation. Perhaps you'd like to explain to me just what it is that Castiel here did that you felt warranted a punch in the face?"

A scowl twists on Crowley's face at the use of his given name. He crosses his arms over his chest defensively. "I wasn't exactly gunning for this one," he grinds out in irritation. "But, come on, will you just bloody look at them! How was I supposed to know that this nitwit, " he jerks his head toward Mister Novak, "had a bloody freaking stunt double?" He's red-faced and Castiel is fairly certain one of his eyes is twitching by the time he's conculded his rant, but that last bit catches his attention. What does he mean about a stunt double? The two boys on either side of Crowley lean foward to look past him and let out twin gasps of surprise.

Castiel's head tilts to the side and his eyes squint in confusion as he regards the other boy whose features and actions are a perfect mirror of his own. "You...you look like me," Castiel stammers out in amazement.

"That's what I've been trying to say!" the British teen in the center of this poor excuse for a telenovela exclaims. He then huffs out a laugh, shaking his head in disbelief. "Wait. Are you telling me you morons don't even know about each other? Fuck me! Your problems go way beyond Jimmy being a complete tosser, don't they?"

"Alright, alright. That's enough out of you, Fergus," Mister Adler interjects. "I've no doubt that whatever Mister Novak did was extremely infuriating but that's no excuse for causing an all out brawl in the cafeteria. Especially when it turns out that you haven't even got the right guy." His mouth turns up in a smarmy grin. "That's just sloppy work, don't you think?

"All three of you will be placed on work detail for the next two weeks." A chorus of groans has Adler glaring at the group. "You're lucky I'm not calling your guardians. Now, I expect you each to be on your best behavior. If any of you are sent back to my office for misconduct, the consequences will be far more severe. Do I make myself clear?" The boys all nod and mutter their understanding of the camp director's ultimatum. The plastic smile returns to the man's features. "Good. Now that we've got that business out of the way there's just one more thing. Gentleman, I've decided to assign you new bunkmates for the remainder of the summer. Mister Crowley, you'll be sharing a cabin with Garth Fitzgerald IV. Have fun with that one; I hear he's a hugger. Of course Mister Milton, Mister Novak, it seems only natural to pair the two of you together. I'm sure you young offenders have quite a bit of bonding to do. I'll let you get to it." He looks at the campers' dumbstruck faces before rising from his chair. "Well," he draws out, making a shooing motion at the group, "go on. We're done here."

The boys hastily exit the administrative cabin and, once safely outside and away from Adler's eyes, Crowley whips around on the other two. "Well isn't this just wizard. Jimmy here starts trouble with one of my boys and when I go to return the favor we all get fucked." He shoulder checks Jimmy as he passes him to return to his cabin. "This isn't over, Jimmy. And hey, kid," he adds, sparing Castiel one last look, "if I were you, I'd smother your new roomie in his sleep." With that the young man storms off leaving the other boys alone in awkward silence.

"So," Castiel begins. "This is-"

"Pretty fucking bizarre?" Jimmy cuts in. He grabs the other teen by the chin and jerks his face around to regard it from several different angles. Same wide, bright blue eyes. Same pouty, slightly chapped, pink lips, the only difference being the silver glint of snakebites decorating Jimmy's. Same mocha brown hair, though Jimmy's sticks up in messy tufts on the top with closely cropped sides while Castiel's was much more neatly combed and parted. He chuckles as he releases Castiel. "At least you're good looking."

Castiel rubs his chin where it feels tender from his doppelganger's manhandling. "Thanks?" He clears his throat. "I was the only one in my cabin before, you know, if you wanted to move your stuff into mine. I assume that would be easiest."

Jimmy gives a casual shrug of his shoulders but the grin that overtakes his face is downright devilish. "Sure thing. Garth was my roommate before. Adler's right, he's a hugger. Total doof when you first meet him but he grows on you." He laughs as they start the walk down one of the winding forest trails toward Jimmy's cabin. "Crowley' s gonna have an aneurysm."

A small chuckle escapes Castiel. He may not know much about Crowley but he can certainly attest to the fact that the other boy has a mean right cross. That's enough to allow him some small measure of enjoyment at imagining the snarky youth's displeasure.

"Hey, man!" Jimmy calls out as he enters his soon to be former cabin, holding up a finger to indicate that Castiel should wait outside. "I've got good news and bad news. The bad news is that Adler handed me my ass for that b. s. with Crowley. We're getting the chain gang treatment and he's making us change cabins. I'm getting tagged out and Crowley's getting tagged in. Sorry dude."

"Wow...that's balls," a disappointed voice responds. "I'm gonna miss having you for a roomie. You're basically my best buddy in this whole place." There's a heavy sigh from the boy that Castiel presumes must be Garth. "So what's the good news, then?"

"Well, on the way back from my ass chewing I got snatched up by these crazy government dudes, total men in black deal. Suits and everything. Anyway, they brought me to this secret undrrground lab and, long story short," he waves for Castiel to join him inside. "They finally perfected human cloning!" He grabs Castiel by the shoulders and gives him a brief shake. "Huh? Get it? Cos we look so similar? Come on, man, that was awesome and you know it!"

Garth, whose eyebrows have shot into his hairline, opens and closes his mouth like a fish out of water. 'Holy guacamole, Jimmy! You didn't tell me you had a twin! We've been bunking together for three summers and you never thought to mention that you had a twin brother?"

Jimmy throws his friend an incredulous look. "Um, yeah, I would have thought to mention that, ya know, if I had one. But dude, seriously, I'm an only child. It's just a freaky coincidence. People say we've all got a doppelganger out there somewhere, right?" He gives Garth a playful shove. "Shit, man, I feel sorry for the poor bastard walking around with your ugly mug."

"You're such an idjit," Garth says, brotherly affection coloring his voice. "Still, I think I'd have a lot of questions if I were you guys. Anyway," he extends his hand to Castiel, who notes with amusement that Garth's gangly limbs and oversized features remind him of a puppy that's not quite grown into its body, "I'm Garth. It's nice to meet you."

"Castiel," the shy teen offers before letting out a squeak of surprise when Garth takes the opportunity to pull him into a hug. He cuts his eyes at his lookalike, who's too busy using the door frame to keep himself upright as he breaks into a fit of laughter to notice or care. He pats Garth's back awkwardly until the stick thin teen releases him.

Once Jimmy finally recovers from his fit of laughter he straightens up and claps the other boys on the shoulder. "We should probably get my stuff out before Crowley gets here." He turns to Garth. "Dude's still pretty pissed right now. Might be best if he doesn't see my face, either of them actually, until he's cooled off. Garth, I'll catch ya later." He flashes his friend a quick smile and heads to his bed to gather up the few possessions he's actually taken the time to unpack. He pushes his weekender bag into Castiel's arms and grabs his suitcase. "Ready to make like an Autobot and roll out?"

Cas regards him with a raised eyebrow. 'I don't understand that reference."

Jimmy lets out a low whistle and shakes his head. "Wow, man, what cave have you been hiding in? Let's just go. I have much to teach you, young Jedi."

The two boys sit on their beds cataloging even the smallest of details about each other. Aside from some minor cosmetic differences in style, it really was like looking into a mirror. Eventually, it's Castiel that breaks the silence. "So why do you think it is that we look so much alike? Obviously that clone business is a bunch of bologna."

Flopping onto his matress, Jimmy lets out a noncommittal grunt. "Dunno. We could've been some sort of test tube baby science experiment. Or maybe I'm you from an alternate universe where you're actually cool. Oh! What do you know about your milkman?" He lets out a startled shout when his bunkmate chucks a balled up shirt at him. "Come on! Where's your sense of humor? That was hilarious."

An irritated sigh escapes Castiel. "It was nothing of the sort. Please, Jimmy, I'm being serious. I really think we should get to the bottom of this. You said you're an only child. Are you certain? My sister and I were both adopted, so I have no idea what my biological family is like. Were you adopted as well?"

Jimmy shakes his head fiercely. "Not a chance. My parents died when I was still really little. But my aunt took me in and raised me ever since. She may be kinda crazy, but I'm pretty sure even she'd remember having two nephews instead of one."

"When's your birthday?"

"The twentieth of August." A smirk curls at tbe corners of Jimmy's mouth. "Why? Gonna get me a present?"

Castiel's mouth is a firm line. "That's my birthday as well. Don't you think that sounds more than a little coincidental?"

Jimmy's smirk quickly morphs into a scowl. "You've got to be kidding. Are you seriously suggesting what I think you're suggesting, Milton?"

Castiel's gaze settles intently on the identical teen opposite him. "It's not such a strange hypothesis, is it? You hear stories about this sort of situation on the news frequently enough. Jimmy, I think we need to consider the very real chance that we were separated at birth."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I decided to make Jimmy's personality a bit of a mix between Dean and Endverse!Cas. I figured that this is what Jimmy might have been like growing up in the sort of environment I crafted for him in this universe.
> 
> My goal is to update about once a week, but this is my first multi-chapter work, so I'll see how it goes.


	2. Chapter 2

Castiel lets out a startled cry as the cold spray of the kitchen sink's hose attachment hits his back, soaking his tshirt. Jimmy is cackling from his position wielding the makeshift weapon when Castiel turns a withering death glare at him. "I do not believe, " he huffs out while attempting to wring out the bottom of his shirt, "that is the intended purpose of that particular feature."

"Maybe not, but I think I like this purpose more." He grins at Castiel from under his newly acquired colander helmet. "Lighten up, Milton. You're at camp. You're supposed to be having fun, remember?"

"And yet here I am, stuck with you for the rest of my summer," Cas shoots back, but there's no malice in his voice. He grabs a stack of plates to put away on the wire shelves. "Let's hurry up and get this done. We can meet the guys at the lake if we finish up soon."

The idea motivates Jimmy to pick up his pace and they're making their way down to the lakefront in less than fifteen minutes. The sun is setting at their backs, painting the cloudless sky in pastel streaks of pink, purple and blue. Jimmy smiles to himself at the fact that Castiel has decided to join him. Since beginning their punishment last week, the pair have become quite close. They spend most of their free time exchanging even the most mundane details of each other's lives. As they reveal more about themselves it becomes increasingly obvious that Castiel's theory is correct. It's clear they are twins and, though they still can't imagine why, they were separated as babies.

Garth and Ash wave the twins over to the dock where they are sitting with their bare feet swishing languidly through the water. Ash, a tech genius with an odd obsession for denim and mullets, gives them a makeshift salute as they settle onto the weathered planks of the dock. "What up, Thing One, Thing Two. You fellas in the mood to go on a little nature hike?" He brandishes a small blown glass pipe and a sandwich baggie filled with a musky green herb. "I got a leaf I could use some help identifying." His lazy smile makes it clear that he's already spent a fair bit of time identifying the plant in question.

Jimmy reaches out to take the pipe saying, "You know it, man," as Castiel simultaneously protests, "Absolutely not!" Each looks at the other in disbelief. 

"You're not seriously going to get high, are you?" Castiel sounds so scandalized by the thought that all three of his companions bust into a fit of laughter. He regards them, head crooked to the side. "What? I don't understand why this could possibly be so amusing."

Garth slaps him on the back. "You, ya big ole goof. You look like we all just tried to rope you into robbing a bank or something. It's just pot, Cas. No biggie."

Taking a hit off the pipe, Jimmy turns to Cas and exhales the smoke in his face. "No one's forcing you to participate."

Castiel sputters out a series of coughs while attempting to disperse the cloud surrounding him. He heaves out a sigh at his friends' blasé attitudes. "Just...just don't get caught. I need to get in more trouble with Adler like I need a hole in the head."

The boys pass the bowl around, only teasing Castiel a little, until the sun dips below the surface of the lake, cloakng them in the shadows of the night. They lay on the pier, gazing at the stars and making idle conversation. It's no surprise when the philosophical stoners round on the topic of the twins,

"I still can't believe you had a brother you never knew about for your whole life," Garth muses.

Jimmy, who has been letting the sound of the lake's wake slapping against the shore lull him into a state of relaxation, cracks an eye to regard the awkward teen. "Yes, it must come as quite a shock to you. Did you need help processing the news?" he deadpans.

"No," Garth says. His eyebrows are drawn together in concern. "If anyone should want help dealing with this, it's you two."

Ash reaches out and smacks Garth upside the head. "He was being sarcastic, dumbass." It's a moment later that understanding finally dawns on Garth's face. Ash chuckles. "You know what's funny, though? If you guys had been raised the other way around, Cas'd be the fun one."

The teens errupt into a fit of giggles. Well, except for Castiel.

"Hey! I'm plenty of fun."

Jimmy pats his brother, he's still getting used to that word, on the arm. "Course you are, Cupcake. Ash brings up an interesting point. Man, if you'd grown up with me you could've been a total badass." He's quite for a moment before startling his companions with a triumphant shout. "Dude! We should totally switch places!"

"Switch places?"

"Ah, hell yeah!" Ash cries. "You guys could totally pull off a 'Parent Trap' scenario!"

Cas' mouth turns down in a frown. "What's a 'Parent Trap' scenario?"

Ash rolls his eyes. "That old Disney flick where the chick plays twins whose parents split them up as babies when they got divorced. Then they meet for the first time at camp and decide to switch places to get their parents back together. It was a beautiful thing."

A wide grin spreads across Jimmy's face." Excellent summarization, Doctor Badass. But seriously, Castiel. Aren't you curious how the other half lives? I know I am." He rolls on his side to better face his twin, batting his baby blues like a schoolgirl with a crush. "Pretty please, Cas. Let me be a Milton! I promise I'll be ever so good!"

The more subdued of the pair quietly mulls over the frankly preposterous idea. He can hardly believe he's even considering it. What would it be like if he were to rebel? Castiel always does as he's expected but now, having spent time with these people, he wonders if maybe he's been missing out on something greater. He's not sure what pushes him to speak but the words leave his mouth before he can think of the ramifications.

"Okay."

Jimmy just blinks at him dumbly. "Wait. What? Holy shit, Cas! I'm telling ya, this is the greatest idea ever!"

 

>\-------]>

 

"This is the worst idea ever," Castiel grumbles from his seat while Jimmy uses a pair of clippers to buzz down the sides of Cas' hair.

"Just stay still and shut up. You look great. Besides, you should really be more polite to the guy who holds the fate of your hair in his hands." The maniacal gleam in Jimmy's eye makes Castiel bite back any sarcastic remarks. "Now, let me see if I've got all this down. Mom and dad are Amy and Richard, a stay at home mom and a church deacon. Big sis Anna is spending the summer break backpacking through Europe. We're very close so if she calls to check in I'll insist on talking to her. And my bestie is one Ms. Charlie Bradbury. Queen of Moondoor, computer genius, and all around lady killer. Yes?"

Castiel hums in agreement as his brother starts styling the new haircut. "And you live with our father's sister, Naomi. She's an administrator on the school board. You met your best friend, Dean Winchester, in the second grade when he and his baby brother, Sam, were adopted by their Uncle Bobby. That's why you bonded. You both enjoy classic rock and he's been attempting to teach you how to fix cars. I hope for my sake that you were a slow learner."

"Don't worry, 'Jimmy.' Last time you and Dean had a lesson you almost poured the oil into the wiper fluid reservoir. You pretty much suck at being a mechanic." He grabs the newly coiffed Cas and gives his shoulders a squeeze. "I'm all done. Check it out, man." When he reaches the mirror, Castiel preens, honest to god preens, before it as Jimmy looks on smugly behind him.

"Whoa," he breathes. "I look...good."

"As if there was ever any doubt that you would," his brother retorts. "I mean, if I may direct the jury's attention to exhibit A." Jimmy siddles up next to his brother and grabs him by the chin. "There's just a couple things missing but fear not, mon frère, I bribed one of the counselors so we'll be correcting that little detail after dinner tonight."

Castiel's eyes slide to the gleaming silver hoops in Jimmy's plush lower lip. His eyes go wide with panic. "Oh, no. No, no, no! There is no way I'm letting anyone stab me in the face. And certainly not twice!"

"Well you can't go home and tell people your snake bites magically disappeared over the summer."

Rubbing at his lip as though he can already feel the sting of a needle, Cas stutters out, "Maybe we should call it off. I mean, even if we can fool people at first glance, once either of us opens our mouth they're going to figure out we aren't who we say we are pretty quickly."

Jimmy stalks over to his bed and dramatically flops onto the mattress. "Don't wuss out on me now, Milton. We've spent the past two weeks around each other nonstop, picking up each other's weird little quirks." The corners of his mouth kick up into a smile. "You're already less of a spaz. Now, just sit down, take a deep breath, and remember: we've got this."

These are the same words he finds himself repeating later that evening when he, Castiel, and the very agreeable and easily bribed counselor Gabriel are sitting in a piercing studio so Cas can get his lips done to match his twin's.

"Do you need me to hold your hand while the big scary man pokes you with needles, baby brother?" Gabriel teases Castiel with a wink before popping a cherry lollipop into his mouth. They were using the cover story of Gabe being their older brother and guardian to sign the waiver allowing Castiel to get his piercings. Although the studio hadn't been terribly concerned with the fact that the teen was underage, Gabriel still finds the rouse entertaining and continues to run with it.

"I think I'll manage," Castiel says sourly as the piercer, Sergei, finishes setting up his tools.

"Your loss," Gabriel says around the sweet. "I'm told that my presence is incredibly soothing."

Castiel rolls his eyes at the shorter man. "You must speak with quite a few liars."

Gabriel barks out a laugh, his golden eyes twinkling with amusement. "You wound me, little brother. And after all I've done for you. Teaching you how to ride a bike. Helping you with your homework. Sneaking you back into the house at night so mom wouldn't find out about your weekends out clubbing as 'Kiki' with those glittery booty shorts that make your ass look like a freaking disco ball."

Cas chokes on air and Jimmy falls to the floor in a fit of hysterics. The piercer says nothing but quirks an eyebrow at the beet red teen before flicking his eyes to quickly appraise said disco booty. Sergei places a steadying hand on Castiel's forearm. "If we're going to do this you're going to have to relax, Kiki." The bastard has the nerve to throw in a flirty wink for good measure. Cas' companions wipe the tears from their eyes as they attempt to regain their composure.

Twenty minutes later, the trio is sneaking back to Camp Onondaga and Castiel has not only gained two new piercings, but Sergei's cell phone number. He's still not ready to forgive Gabe for making up the world's most embarrassing story about him, but he's not going to complain about scoring a hot Russian dude's digits.

When he runs into Ash and Garth on his way to the showers and manages to bluff his way through an entire five minute conversation with the boys as Jimmy, a knot he didn't even realize had been residing in his gut unravels. Jimmy's right. He's got this.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm working on the next chapters, but I apologize if I get off schedule. I had been hoping to get more writing done over the week but I've had wicked bad migraines instead. I'll try my best to stay on track though.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this is a day late. I had some trouble with this chapter. The end came to me fairly easily, but the first part took a long time to figure out. Hopefully it turned out alright for all the trouble it gave me.
> 
> Also, I know next to nothing about boats so please don't hold that against me. It's the thought that counts right now. If my terms are screwy, I promise to come back and fix them at a point when I don't want to bang my head into a wall.

The last week of camp is always a flurry of activity jam packed with special events and competions. Some things, such as the talent show and themed dress day, are open to all ages to participate in. The more physically demanding activities, however, are reserved for only the more senior campers. There are awards and prizes to be won for many of the activities. Equally important, at least in the eyes of teenage boys, is the respect of their peers. That's why Jimmy has decided that he'll do everything in his power to ensure that he and Cas win and, more importantly, show up Crowley and his goons.

Camp Director Adler assembles the entire camp in the morning to explain to the new kids and refresh for the returning campers the events, rules, and prizes. Since this is all old news to Jimmy, he focuses on gathering his team for the group activities. He pulls Garth, Ash, and his brother to the edge of the crowd and looks at each of them in turn. "You guys are all in, right?" The trio before him each nod. "Sweet. Garth, after Adler dismisses everyone you wanna get us signed up for everything while Ash and I start explaining our strategy to Cas?"

"Sure thing!" Garth agrees.

Cas quickly learns that the bulk of his team's strategy is, "fuck with Crowley." When he points out how incredibly ridiculous the strategy is, he's assured that the other three boys are so skilled in the tasks they'll be doing that sabotaging Crowley, while not strictly necessary, will be entertaining while providing them with the additional challenge they crave. In the end, Castiel sighs in exasperation as he realizes his logic is falling on deaf ears. Whether he likes it or not, this is what they're doing and since he'll be guilty by association he may as well make it worth the trouble.

Over the course of the week, they pull off a few highly entertaining pranks against Crowley. Their final sabotage is set into motion the night before the canoe races. They're smoking up on the dock to unwind when an idea strikes Jimmy. He's realized that Crowley always uses the same canoe when he goes out on the lake. A devious smile curls at the corners of his mouth. "Guys. I just had a brilliant idea."

 

>\-----]>

 

Early the next afternoon, a large crowd gathers by the shore. About a dozen teams of two are getting ready to participate in the canoe race. "Gentlemen, will your teams please choose a canoe and bring it to the starting line?" Gabe, acting as the official referee for the race, shouts through his megaphone. As Castiel and Jimmy grab a boat and haul it over to the designated area, they notice Crowley and one of his cronies, a creep called Alistair, snag the exact canoe Jimmy knew they would: a red one at the far end of the line.

When all the participants are in place Gabriel again raises the megaphone to his lips. "Everybody ready?" He pauses to allow the boys to yell in the affirmative. "Then let's get this boat on the show!" Quite a few boys boo his cheesy joke. "Aw, come on! That was gold and you know it! Fine, fine, fine. On your marks! Get set!"

The deafening honk of the megaphone's horn spurs the teams into action. Each team races for the water, the lead rower jumping into the boat while the second rower pushes them deep enough into the lake to begin paddling before quickly jumping into the back of the canoe. Castiel and Jimmy set a respectable pace and move their oars in perfect synchronicity, establishing them as one of the early leaders in the race, along with Ash and Garth, Crowley and Alistair, and, taking the lead, Aaron and Victor.

Things start to get interesting when they round the buoy marking the halfway point. From their vantage point behind Crowley's second place canoe, the twins see his oar snap in the water, separating the broad paddle from its handle. When Crowley lets out a string of curses that would make a Marine blush, Jimmy lets out a sharp bark of laughter. The boat is veering heavily to the left as Crowley snaps at Alistair to, "Paddle into both sides of the water, you useless cunt!" Alistair sends him a withering glare but complies, rowing left, then right in a frantic attempt to begin correcting their course and regain the momentum they've lost.

Jimmy gives them a quick salute as his canoe glides past theirs. "Bad luck there, boys," he shouts. "I'm sure you'll get it sorted out eventually!" Crowley hurls a litany of insults and threats of violence at Jimmy, who pretends he can't quite catch what the other teen is saying as the distance between them continues to grow. He cranes his neck to look at his brother. "Tell me that wasn't the most satisfying thing you've seen all week."

Cas shakes his head but a small smile still finds its way to his lips. "I do believe that if we hadn't taken the time to compromise the structural integrity of his oar, karma may have taken the time to do it herself."

"That's the spirit!" He gestures to the boat in front of them. "Look. Victor used up a lot of his energy in the first half of the race so he can't keep up the pace they need to maintain their lead. Plus, Aaron's more brains than brawn so he was already the weak link in that pairing. If we push ourselves in the last quarter, we've got this in the bag."

As promised, on Jimmy's word, the two of them quicken their pace, giving their canoe the final burst of speed it needs to surge past the other boat and steal the lead. When the pair reach the shore Gabriel scrambles for his megaphone. "You heard it here first, folks! Cas and Jimmy win the race! Victor and Aaron in second place, mere seconds behind them! Now, here come Ash and Garth rounding out our placing teams in third!" 

Another counselor approaches Gabe and whispers in his ear, gesturing toward the lake. "Really?" the golden haired counselor asks, his face the picture of skepticism, before looking further out at the lake. "Huh. Hey, uh, if any of you slow pokes bringing up the rear wanna help haul Tweedle Dum and Tweedle Dummer back with you, that would be great, 'kay? Thanks." He turns to the twins, who have just tethered their canoe to the dock, and raises a quizzical eyebrow at them, but, thankfully, says nothing.

On his way back to his cabin after dinner Castiel hears rustling in the bushes. He frowns in the direction of the noise but continues along the path, thinking a raccoon must be scavenging in a trash bin outside one of the nearby cabins.

"You think you're pretty clever, don't you?"

Castiel stops dead in his tracks at the sound of Crowley's voice. He turns around slowly to face the enraged teen. "Listen, Crowley-"

"No, you listen, you little twerp, " Crowley growls, advancing on Cas and snatching him up by the front of his shirt. "I know it was you and that little shit brother of yours that have been fucking with me all week. Did you think I'd let you off without returning the favor?" Before Cas has a chance to process what's happening, Crowley sucker punches him. He hauls his fist back again and hits Castiel in the stomach. The dark haired teen doubles over in pain and Fergus brings his knee up, landing a final strike to Castiel's lip.

Cas drops to the ground, panting and clutching his aching stomach with one hand and attempting to stymie the bleeding of his split lip with the other. "We're done here, Novak." Crowley smirked down at the injured boy before fading back into the darkness.

Groaning in discomfort, Castiel hauls himself back to his feet. He starts making his way slowly back to the cabin he and Jimmy share. On the way many thoughts filter through his mind. How he wishes Crowley had gotten revenge on the right twin. How he'd now like to kick Jimmy's ass himself. Most of all, though, he can't wait for this day to be over. He's ready to go home. Or, rather, he's ready to go to Jimmy's home. Anywhere has to be better than getting his ass kicked all over Camp Onondaga.

 

>\-----]>

 

Butterflies are creating a hurricane of nervous energy in Castiel's stomach. Today's the day. Soon he'll be boarding a plane that will fly him to Sioux Falls, South Dakota and the life he might have led if, instead of being adopted, his aunt had become his guardian. He's curious to see what he's missed growing up with his adoptive family and to perhaps discover why only one of the brothers was put up for adoption in the first place, but he's also a little afraid, What if he slips up and these strangers catch on to the fact that he's not really Jimmy? He doesn't want to blow this.

His twin sits beside him on the bed's lumpy matress and gives his shoulder a reassuring pat. "Just breathe, 'Jimmy.' You're gonna be fine. Plus, you'll have Ash around to help you. It's gonna be fine, you'll see."

"Yeah," Castiel responds weakly. He tries to follow his brother's advice, taking slow, deep breaths. In through the nose. Out through the mouth. After a few minutes he begins to relax. "Okay, I'm ready. Let's go say goodbye to everyone. The shuttles for the airport should be arriving soon." The brothers rise and gather up their belongings, each takng the others' possessions. Cas turns to Jimmy. "Fair warning. Mom and dad are gonna kill you for coming home with snake bites."

Jimmy gives a nonchalant shrug though his grin is full of mischief. "Fair enough. I suppose that I should warn you, too. Aunt Naomi is gonna raise hell over that shiner and split lip you got yourself."

Cas groans. "I'd still like to know how I end up getting all the hits meant for you." Thankfully, the black eye is easy for him to conceal with a little cover-up procured by Gabriel's girlfriend, Kali. His lip, however, is a lost cause. He's just happy the punch hadn't wrecked his still healing piercings. "I do hope the urge to punch Jimmy Novak in the face is less common outside of these campgrounds."

"Generally," Jimmy says simply. He checks the screen door open with a slim hip and gestures toward the porch with his head. "After you."

The boys make their way to the main entrance of the camp where many of the campers are already gathering to say their final goodbyes, meet their families, or simply wait for the airport shuttles. "Ash! Garth!" Jimmy shouts when he spies the other boys in the crowd. The twins fight their way through the sea of teens to join their friends.

"Hey, fake Cas," Ash drawls out. "Ready for your big adventure?"

Jimmy nods. "As ready as I'll ever be."

Garth's brow knits in confusion. "How'd you know that one's Jimmy, Ash? They've been impossible to tell apart since they got Cas all punked up."

Ash shakes his head. "Naw, man. It's the clothes. Jimmy's dressed like some sort of aspiring tax accountant. Clearly a Castiel Milton original. Ergo, this is our dear Jimmy wearing his Castiel best to meet the fam."

"Impressive skills of deduction as always, my man." Jimmy beams at his friend. "Take care of him for me, will ya? He's still freaked out even though we all know he makes a pretty kick ass me."

"Course," Ash assures his old friend. He turns to Cas. "Just don't be too polite around Naomi and you'll be fine. Fastest way for you to make yourself look like you aren't Jimmy is to use those manners of yours too liberally. 'Please' and 'Ma'am' will set her radar off like nothin else, got it?"

Cas nods his understanding. "Got it, Ash."

Ash flashes him a small smile. "Cool. And I got my stepmom to ask Naomi to give me a lift home since we're in the same neighborhood so I can point her out to you at the airport." He slings an arm around Cas' shoulder. "Come on, 'Jimmy.' Let's get the rest of our goodbyes in. Our shuttle will be here in a few minutes."

They wind their way through the crowd of campers, stopping to chat with several groups of teens. Out of the corner of his eye Castiel can see Garth and Jimmy approaching Crowley and his minions. At first, Crowley looks ready to spit fire but after a few minutes his expression relaxes minutely, downgrading to merely irked. Jimmy slides up beside the annoyed Brit and claps Crowley on the back before Garth rushes into Crowley's personal space and envelopes the startled teen in a bear hug.

The four boys reunite in front of the newly arrived airport shuttle. Castiel quirks an eyebrow at his brother. "Make a new friend, 'Cas?'" he asks in an overly casual tone. "You couldn't have made nice with him before he beat me up again?"

Jimmy widens his eyes in feigned innocence. "If I'd made nice with Crowley earlier we couldn't have shared that bonding moment that allowed me to slip contraband into his carry-on." He's struggling to suppress his laughter. "Man, he's gonnna have a bitch of a time trying to get through airport security." His laughter breaks free when Garth shoots him a bewildered look.

Ash lets out a snort of laughter. "Shit, son. If we had any doubts about which one was the evil twin. Aw, hell, who am I kidding. We all already knew you were the evil one. Cas here's an angel. Ain't that right, bud?"

"I'm no angel," he says shaking his head slowly. "At least, not for the rest of the summer." He gives Jimmy a wry grin. "You'd do well to practice exemplifying those angelic qualities in my sted."

The group joins the back of the queue to board one of the buses for the airport. "Don't worry," Jimmy assures his twin, slinging an arm across his shoulders. "I'll be a better you than you. Scout's honor."

Rollng his eyes, Cas shrugs off Jimmy's arm before stepping into the bus. "I am not now, nor have I ever been, a Boy Scout. And I have a sneaking suspicion that the same can be said of you."

Castiel sighs as he drops into the benchseat beside Ash, Jimmy and Garth taking the seat across the aisle. It's going to be a long day full of airplanes and airports. The shuttle bus lurches forward and Cas looks over at Jimmy, dressed in Castiel's more conservative clothes, who is having an animated conversation with the happy-go-lucky teen beside him. Soon Jimmy will board a plane to Ohio and Castiel's family. Castiel's life. And Cas will soon be on his way into Jimmy's life. He's starting to wonder if it will still feel like his stomach is dragging on the floor once they reach 30,000 feet. Turning himself forward again, Cas swallows thickly as he casts his eyes down to his hands, so tightly fisted in his lap that his knuckles turn white. He's pretty sure it will.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter we finally get some Dean and Cas interaction! I've been dying to get to this too. :3


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to everyone who has taken the time to subscribe, bookmark, and leave comments or kudos. It all means a lot to me. I hope you enjoy the lastest chapter. :3
> 
> A reminder that I have no beta, so any mistakes are my own.

As Ash and Castiel approach the Sioux Falls Regional Airport's baggage claim Ash's eyes scan the small crowd of people waiting for their loved ones to arrive. When they spot a middle aged woman with auburn hair wearing a sensible slate grey pantsuit, Ash leans in close to his friend. "Eleven o'clock. Redhead in the god awful pantsuit," he murmers.

Castiel's gaze lands on the woman at the same moment hers finds him. She strides up at a clipped pace to meet them beside the luggage carousel. "Welcome home, James, Ash," she says to the teens, pulling Cas in for a brief hug. When she backs away from the boy her focus shifts to his face and, more specifically, his busted lip. "Jimmy! What in the world happened to your lip?"

His azure eyes fix themselves on a speck of dirt on the scuffed and faded linoleum floor. "Some dick at camp didn't want to be in my fan club," he explains with a shrug.

Naomi's lips are a grim line at his words. "How many times must I ask you to mind your language, Jimmy Novak?" She lets out an exasperated sigh, eyes closed and pinching the bridge of her nose. When her face has regained its stony composure, she addresses him again. "No matter. You and I will discuss this at a more appropriate time. If you boys would please collect your things? I'd like to get back on the road as soon as possible." Her tone makes it clear that this isn't a request and the teens rush to grab their belongings, neither feeling particularly keen to learn the consequences of make Naomi wait.

When they pull Naomi's Ford Fusion into Ash's driveway Castiel hops out to say a final goodbye to his only ally in this unfamiliar place. Ash slaps Cas on the back. "You need anything, call me. And you'd better bring your ass over to hang out. Good luck, 'Jimmy.'" He winks before scooping his duffle bag off the ground, spinning on the heel of his ancient combats boots, and throwing up Devil horns in lieu of saying a proper goodbye.

Cas can't help the grin that forms on his face. Though the mullet-sporting computer whiz is a bit strange, he's grown rather fond of the guy over the course of the summer and thanks the heavens that he has such an awesome new friend to help him settle in to this temporary life.

Naomi's house is one of those soulless modern structures. All clean lines, large windows, and zero personality. There are no family photos on the wall, just a few pieces of unidentifiable modern art that probably cost more per piece than both of Castiel's parents cars put together. There's no clutter. Anything adoring the surfaces of tables or shelves was clearly placed there with great care and intent. He's seen hospital rooms that felt less sterile. 

Her voice snaps him out of his thoughts. "I want you to take your things up to your room, put them away, and get washed up for supper. We'll discuss your inability to stay out of trouble after we've eaten."

Luckily, Jimmy'd had the forethought to realize that his twin would need to know where his room was. As promised, the second door on the left in the upstairs hallway opens up to reveal what can only be a teenaged boy's bedroom. Though it's tidy, it has personality and a lived-in quality that the rest of the house lacks. Castiel takes in the room bit by bit. Thick blackout curtains ensure that the harsh morning sun won't disturb his slumber. A few posters of classic rock bands decorate the walls. There's also a small desk with a laptop in the corner and, rather than a traditional chair, a stability ball resting in front of it.

Cas sets his bags on the galaxy print comforter of his queen sized bed and takes a seat beside them. On the nightstand is a small reading lamp and a single picture frame. He picks it up and examines the young couple in the photograph. Standing tall and proud is a man, probably no more than five years older than Castiel himself, with slicked back mocha brown hair and pale grey eyes. His arm is around the waist of the most lovely woman Castiel has ever seen. Her alabaster completion is a stark contrast to her counterpart's golden tan. She has untamable ebony curls and, even in a picture, her azure eyes sparkle with pure joy as she looks in adoration at the man she's leaning into. The image before him blurs as tears threaten to spill from his eyes. For the first time in his memory, he's looking at his parents. It's both amazing and heartbreaking all at once.

He sets the frame down and blinks back his tears. Naomi has given him precise instructions and he has a feeling that she's not one to be kept waiting. He quickly unpacks and changes from the clothes he's spent the day traveling in. Already, he's beginning to feel better though he has a feeling that the discussion he and Naomi are due to have after dinner will put a damper on his improving mood.

The clatter of cutlery against ceramic is amplified by the surrounding silence as Castiel and Naomi dine on broiled salmon, wild rice, and asparagus tips. Though a little stuffier than the food Cas is used to, he enjoys it even if he'd feel much more comfortable munching on a Baconator in front of his computer. He chews his food at a deliberately slow pace, hoping to delay the inevitable for as long as possible.

Naomi sets her silverware on her empty plate then allows her unwavering gaze to fall on Castiel. "Explain to me just how, exactly, it is that you received your injuries, Jimmy. And need I remind you of how foolish it would be to deceive me?"

He lowers his eyes to his hands, nervously twisting the cream colored cloth napkin in his lap, as he shakes his head. "This kid Crowley and I, we had a few disagreements. Things got a little heated by the end of camp and he jumped me after dinner on the last night."

"No one thought I should be informed?" she asks in a tone that makes Castiel think she's not so much concerned over his safety as she is offended that she hasn't been kept in the loop. "I suppose they also didn't bother reprimanding this little hooligan for assaulting you? I should call that incompetent half wit, Zachariah, and put the fear of God in him."

"Please don't, Aunt Naomi!" Cas cries. "It's done. He and I both did stupid stuff to lead us to that point. Besides, he didn't even hurt me that badly. There's really no reason to make a big deal out of this when I'll be as good as new in a few days. I'll probably never even see him again anyway." He sends out a silent prayer that his aunt will just let the issue drop.

She looks ready to go for round two, then suddenly the tension in her face seems to soften just the smallest bit. "Alright, Jimmy. We can let it drop. I certainly won't lose any sleep over not having to speak with Director Adler again." She sends him a small smile though he doesn't think it really reaches her eyes. "I'd like you to clear the dishes. When you've finished you may do as you'd like though if you go out, I still want you home by eleven. Don't think that while you've been away the rules have changed, young man."

Cas returns the smile. "Okay," he says simply. Rising from the table, he collects their dishes and heads into the kitchen.

Back in the safety of Jimmy's bedroom, he pulls out the cell phone that he had exchanged with his own. Scrolling through Jimmy's contacts, he selects his own name and waits for the call to connect. He feels instantly better when his twin answers.

"Hey, 'Jimmy!' How's South Dakota treating you? Did that aunty of yours spit fire when she found out you got your ass kicked?"

Castiel rolls his eyes even though the other teen can't see him. "Hilarious. South Dakota's fine so far. Ash helped a lot. Surprisingly, Naomi took the news about my fight with Crowley better than I thought she would. At first she wanted to call the camp and tear into Adler, but I managed to convince her that since my injuries were minimal and I doubt I'll ever have to see Crowley again she should just let it go."

Jimmy lets out a low whistle at the news. "Wow. You talked her out of releasing the kraken. I didn't think that was even possible. You're gonna have to teach me that trick some time. Hey! Did you call Dean yet? He's gonna freak if he finds out I got back and didn't tell him."

"No, sorry. I'll tell him when we're done. How are things there? Did my parents get mad when they saw 'my' new look?"

"Your folks are actually really cool for a pair of churchy Joes, man. They definitely looked surprised, but your mom said she thought I looked handsome with my new haircut." He gives a small chuckle. "When your dad saw the snakebites he told me while he's not a fan I can at least always take them out. We'd better not have any tattoos, though! Oh, and they brought Charlie with them to pick me up. You weren't kidding about her. She's cool as fuck, man! Too smart for her own good. I could swear she had me pegged a couple times, but she hasn't said anything."

"Yeah, that's her alright. Don't worry. If she figures it out she'll keep her lips sealed tighter than a vault at Gringotts."

"Grin-what?" Jimmy asks in confusion.

"Sorry, it's a Harry Potter thing. My point is that you can trust her. She might even think it's cool."

"Cool. I'll let you know if Harriet the Spy figures out my secret identity. Talk to you later, 'Jimmy.' Bye."

"Bye...and good luck." Castiel taps the 'end call' icon and returns to the contacts menu. He finds Dean's name but instead of calling him, he decides to ease into interacting with his brother's best friend by sending a text.

**J:** _Just got home. Sorry so late, had dinner with aunt first._

His phone chimes, notifying him of a new message, almost immediately.

**D:** _awesome! im omw k?_

Panic churns in Castiel's stomach but he can't think of a good excuse to stop Dean from coming over. In any case, the longer he puts it off, the more time his nerves will have to grow. He starts taking slow, grounding breaths. 'Quick like a bandaid,' he thinks. 'Just get it over with. You did fine with Naomi. You can do this too.' He still feels ready to pass out but with shaking hands he sends out another text to Dean.

**J:** _K, see you soon._

Seeking an outlet for the nervous energy building up inside him, Cas paces back and forth as his slender fingers run through his hair leaving it an unruly mess. The deep rumble of an engine outside brings his focus back to the present. Peeking through the thick curtains of his window, he sees a dark car park at the curb of Naomi's house. The driver, presumably Dean, exits the vehicle and hustles up the driveway to the front door.

A quick series of knocks breaks the quiet in the house as Castiel rushes down the stairs calling, "I've got it!" If he hadn't already been out of breath from running to answer the door, he's certain the sight of the young man on the other side would have stolen it.

Dean is tall, even more so than Castiel, who isn't exactly lacking in height. He looks slim yet strong in a threadbare Metallica tshirt and faded jeans that accentuate his assets perfectly. It's his face, though, that has Castiel mesmerized. Eyes like fields in the springtime, so impossibly green and dancing as if lit up by the sun itself. A light dusting of freckles across his nose and cheeks. And perfect pink lips that are currently stretched into a wide smile that Cas can't stop himself from mirroring.

The gorgeous teen's brow knits in concern as his eyes rake over Castiel's face. His hand darts out, fingers gingerly grazing Cas' injured lip. "Shit, Jimmy," he breathes. "Who kicked your ass?"

Castiel turns his face away from Dean. "No one important. It's not a big deal." His eyes look back to Dean. The young man clearly wants to push the subject but simply rolls his eyes at his friend. 

"Alright, man. Whatever you say." He makes his way to the kitchen, Castiel trailing closely behind him. As he gathers a collection of snacks he calls back to Castiel, "You. Me. Evil Dead marathon." Once his arms are loaded to capacity with enough junk food to feed an army, he turns back to face Cas with another one of his excited grins. "Grab drinks."

After grabbing several cans of soda Cas follows Dean down a set of stairs into a finished basement. It has a huge faux suede sofa riddled with overstuffed pillows and a velvety soft blanket draped across the back. What really impresses Castiel, however, is the entertainment system. The flat screen mounted to the wall is larger than any he has ever seen outside of an electronics store. There's also an impressive collection of gaming systems, as well as enough games and movies to keep them occupied for years.

They boys unload their provisions onto the coffee table and queue up the movies. At the beginning of tbe first movie the pair are sitting with a comfortable space between them, munching on popcorn and candy as they add their personal commentary to the movie's cheesy dialog. By midway through Evil Dead 2, they're both starting to fade and the space between them disappears as they sleepily lean against each other in an effort to stay upright.

The last thing Castiel remembers as sleep overtakes him is curling further into Dean's side, face nuzzling into his neck, and Dean's strong grip around his waist keeping him close. He sighs contentedly. In all his seventeen years he can't recall feeling this at peace. As his eyes slip closed a fuzzy thought drifts through his mind. Dean is completely gorgeous and Castiel is so very, totally fucked.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the lateness in putting up a new chapter. Work and home stuff have made writing difficult lately but I'm still here. I feel like I want more in this chapter as it's a bit short, but couldn't see what would be a good addition right now.
> 
> No beta and I'm sure there are some mistakes today. (Seriously, it's not been my week...or two.)

When Castiel cracks open a bleary eye, his vision is filled with blue and green plaid. His eyes slowly climb up until they find a sleepy smile and a pair of beautiful jade and copper eyes. It takes his sleep addled mind a moment to remember where he is. He groans and drops his head back against Dean's chest. "Can we go back to sleep? I don't think I'm ready to face the day yet."

Castiel feels the rumbling laughter in Dean's chest beneath him. "Sorry, Jimmy. You promised to help me get some work done on my Baby when you got home. Besides, I'm starving. Let's get some breakfast. I'm buying."

Though he's still reluctant to move, he looks up at Dean with a lazy grin. "Dean Winchester, what a gentleman. It's not very often I spend the night with someone and get breakfast out of it the next morning." As soon as the words leave his mouth he wants to grab them and shove them back in. What kind of idiot is he, flirting with the guy who's supposed to be his best friend? Luckily, Dean is either too sleepy himself to notice or had simply chosen to ignore Castiel and his big, stupid mouth.

"Come on, smart ass, or I'll leave you here to dine with the dragon lady," he teases with a wink. He stands and offers his hand to Cas who gladly accepts the assistance. "We can take Baby and just head back to mine after we eat."

He may not know much about cars but in the light of day he can fully appreciate the beauty that is Dean's '67 Chevy Impala. He runs a hand over the sharp lines of her ebony hood, stopping only when he reaches the passenger door handle. He slides into the seat, eyes closed and a contented smile curving on his lips as he settles against the buttery leather interior.

"Aw, you missed her."

Dean's voice startles Cas out of his reverie, making him jump. His eyes fly open. "Oh, ah yes," he stutters. "I suppose I did."

Confusion flits across Dean's face for a millisecond before smoothing back into its previous smug look. "Oh, you 'suppose,' do you? It's just me and you here, Jimmy. Don't lie. You love Baby. It's cool. I won't judge. You know she's the only lady in my life but hey, I can share." His smirk only grows as Castiel sputters and coughs in surprise.

After a surprisingly delicious breakfast at a hole-in-the-wall diner on the edge of town, the boys head over to Singer Auto Salvage. Dean parks the Impala in front of his uncle's house but remains in the vehicle, turning to face Castiel. "Ready to learn how to replace a serpentine belt?"

"Yes?" Castiel responds. His face is twisted up into a cringe that sets off a fit of laughter in Dean.

Slapping the dark haired teen on the back, he shakes his head. "Yeah, you look super ready, buddy." He climbs out of the car and Cas follows his lead. "Don't look so scared. We're going to work through every step together, okay? Do you really think I'd ever let you do anything to hurt my baby?" They grab Dean's toolkit and the new belt from the porch and set to work under the Impala's hood.

They are just finishing up when another car pulls up beside them. A young man, maybe a few years older than Cas and Dean, with pale eyes and closely a cropped haircut and beard exits the old junker and grins at Dean in a way that instantly makes Castiel want to knock him out. "Hey, brother," the newcomer says in a slow Cajun drawl.

"Benny! You picking up a part today? Bobby didn't have anything set aside for you."

Castiel carefully sorts through all the information Jimmy had told him about his life in Sioux Falls and Dean. His brother had never mentioned this Benny. Cas' eyes look at the two men between him with uncertainty.

"Shit! That's right, you guys haven't gotten to meet yet. Benny, this is my best buddy, Jimmy. Jimmy, this is Benny. He moved here during the summer and kinda saved my ass when some dicks got pissy when I kicked their asses hustling pool at the Roadhouse."

An easy smile settles on Benny's face. "Naw, brother. I was already out this way and figured I'd see if you were around and wanted to grab lunch." Benny turns to face Castiel and offers his hand which Cas takes less than enthusiastically. "Hey, Jimmy. It's good to finally meet ya. Dean here's talked about you pretty much nonstop since I met him."

"Sorry. I can't say Dean's mentioned you before," Castiel responses coolly.

A humorless laugh escapes Benny. "Is that right? Well. Maybe he would've if you hadn't run off and ditched him to go sing Kumbaya with a bunch of strangers on the other side of the country."

Dean puts himself between his two friends, placing a steadying hand on Cas' forearm. "Uh, yeah. Sorry, buddy. I guess I was just so excited to have you back that I didn't get around to catching you up on what's been going on back here." He rubs the back of his neck, a nervous habit as he eyes his friends. Never have two people more closely resembled a pair of stray dogs circling each other to see which will strike first in an attempt to claim their territory.

"Maybe we should take a rain check on lunch, Benny," Dean finally suggests, his voice weary.

Benny nods slowly. "Sure thing." He reaches out to give Dean's shoulder a gentle squeeze, his hand lingering a couple beats too long to be regarded as strictly friendly. "I'll call you later." His gaze turns frosty as it shifts to Castiel. "I'm sure I'll be seeing you again real soon, Jimmy."

The fire in Castiel's own glare would be enough to send a lesser man running with his tail tucked between his legs. "Right," the dark haired teen practically grinds out. "I'm sure."

It's not until the dust has settled from Benny's old jalopy cruising out of the scrapyard the Castiel's posture relaxes. Benny is evil. Obviously. And there is no way Castiel is letting this creep take Dean away from him, no when he's just found him. Wait! It's not as if he has any claim on the guy. As far as Dean knows, he's his best friend, Jimmy, not some would-be suitor. Cas wishes there were a wall that he could repeatedly bang his head against.

A hesitant hand on his shoulder brings him back to the moment. "Come on, dude. Let's get some lunch." Dean guides him into Bobby's house and they eat lunch in silence, save for the Lord of the Rings movie playing on tv, until the incident with Benny is forgotten.

 

>\-----]>

 

"Hey there, Hailey Mills. How goes the parent trap?" Ash calls from his front porch as Castiel walks up the path toward him. The quirky teen gives him a lazy wave. "I was wondering when you were gonna show up."

"Hello, Ash. Things are," Castiel pauses, struggling to find the right words to describe his experience as Jimmy thusfar, "interesting, to say the least." He joins his friend on the porch swing with a heavy sigh. "I knew there would be some difficulties in coming here, but they're in very different ways than I had imagined. Naomi is strict and without a doubt a total control freak but she also seems quite sad. I'm still looking for clues as to why she only raised Jimmy but I haven't found much to go off of yet." He frowns, leaning his head against the back of the creaky wooden swing and screwing his eyes shut. "And then there's Dean."

Ash quirks an eyebrow at his companion from beneath a pair of neon orange sunglasses. "Dude. You gonna elaborate or what?"

Eyes still tightly shut, Castiel shakes his head. "He's perfect. Like so perfect that when I think about him it makes me feel sick to my stomach. But because he thinks I'm Jimmy I can't tell him he's fucking perfect so he's gonna end up with that asshole Benny instead."

"Look, man, the way I see it you got yourself a few options here." Ash pulls his pipe and lighter out of his pocket, nudging Castiel to offer him up the green. When the other teen shakes his head to refuse, Ash sighs. "Just take it, Cas. I've got a feeling you're gonna need it to help you figure this shit out." When Cas takes a hit off the pipe, coughing up a lungful of smoke, Ash slaps him on the back. "Atta boy! Anyway, like I was saying, you've got yourself a few choices. One, you can sit around and watch while this Benny dude swoops in and puts the moves on Dean." He throws his hands up in surrender when a pair of angry blue eyes glare at him. "Hey, I'm just telling you how it is. You could always put the moves on Dean yourself. Course I think the real Jimmy might take some issue with that. Only other option seems to be the truth."

Cas takes another hit from the pipe, with considerably more success than the last time, before passing it to his friend. "What truth would that be, exactly? 'Hello, Dean, I know you think you're sitting here talking to your best friend, Jimmy, but you've actually been spending the remainder of your summer with his long lost twin brother. My name's Castiel Milton, by the way, and I think you're the most beautiful creature I've ever encountered. Please go out with me?' Yes, I'm sure that would go over brilliantly," he huffs out.

Ash snorts out a laugh and shrugs. "Wouldn't be the dumbest thing to come out of your mouth this summer. What do you want me to say, man? If you really like him, you have to come clean eventually. Otherwise you're gonna have to let it go and if he ends up with Benny or anyone else you've lost your right to bitch about it. " He inhales a deep cloud of smoke. "Maybe you should talk to Jimmy. This is about his best friend, after all. Seems only fair to get his opinion on it. Hell, maybe he'll give you the green light."

Though he still looks pensive, Castiel nods slowly. "Maybe you're right. But what if Jimmy gets pissed off about it or, worse, when Dean finds out the truth he hates me for deceiving him?"

His confidant gives his shoulder a firm squeeze. "One step at a time, my man. One step at a time. Hell, don't even worry about it today. Let's just have a good time now and you can start figuring this shit out tomorrow. Come on, let's go get something to eat." He flashes Castiel a huge smile. "I'm fucking starving, man!"


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for taking such a long hiatus with this story. I think everything is back on track now. I hope you enjoy the latest installment.
> 
> Muchos lovos bros and lady bros. <3

An eardrum piercing shriek fills the room, causing Cas to cringe as he struggles to quickly lower the volume on his laptop's speakers. "Shhh! Charlie, calm down. Naomi might think someone's being murdered up here if you continue to scream like your foot's being sawed off." He eyes the door wearily as if expecting his aunt to burst through it at any moment.

"Sorry, Cassie. I'm just excited to see my bestie. Look at you!" She glances back and forth between the computer screen and Jimmy sitting beside her. "Mother of Dragons, this is so surreal! Like, seriously, is this real life? You have to tell me everything. What's it like being Jimmy? It's got to be so cool to live someone else's life. Like LARPing times a thousand!"

Castiel chuckles at his friend's fascination over the situation. "It's definitely been interesting," he tells her. I miss you, though. Maybe this weekend we can log in and get a raiding party set up."

"You know it, buddy!" Charlie responds, a huge grin taking over her face that makes her light up even more than usual. "So, have you dug up any info on this whole 'separated at birth' business yet?"

Breathing out a heavy sigh, Cas shakes his head. "Nothing yet, I'm afraid. I don't even know where to begin. I can't just ask Naomi without setting off a million red flags and I'm at a loss as to where else to look for answers." He craddles his face in his hands wearily. "Do you have any insights, Jimmy?"

 

Jimmy slides closer into the frame beside Charlie. "I think your best bet is to snoop around her office while she's at work. I know she keeps a lot of important documents and stuff in her safe. Ask Dean to crack it for you. He's a genius at that kind of thing and he'll love the challenge. You have to make sure you don't mess anything up in there though. Aunt Naomi is wicked OCD and if she finds anything out of place, you're toast."

Cas nods slowly. "Yeah, okay. I can do that." He leans back in his seat in an attempt to appear casual. "So, ah, speaking of Dean. Um, what's the deal with him?"

He watches his brother tilt his head to the side inquisitively. "What do you mean, Cas? I already told you everything you need to-"

Jimmy's words are cut off by another one of Charlie's excited outbursts. "Oh. My. God! You like him, don't you, Cassie? You like your pretend best friend!"

Castiel feels the heat bloom across his cheeks and lick its crimson flames over his neck and chest. Still, he pretends to misunderstand the question. "He is a very nice young man, yes. I think we get along perfectly well."

"Don't you play dumb with me, Castiel Novak. You know perfectly well what I mean. You're crushing hard on this dude. I know you too well for you to pretend otherwise," the redhead smuggly informs him.

"What? No! I don't know," he huffs in frustration. "Maybe." The pair on the computer screen give him a pointed look. "Fine! Yes, I like him, okay? It doesn't matter though, does it? He thinks I'm Jimmy. No way anything is going to happen so there's no point in fixating on it...and I swear, Charlie, if you even think the word 'ship' I will end this call right now."

Charlie raises her hands in a placating manner. "Okay, okay. I won't say the S word, hand to Harry Potter."

"Thank you," Cas mummers softly.

A crooked smile crosses the young woman's face. "Row, row, row your boat-"

"Oh, come on!'

"Sorry! I couldn't help myself," she says through a fit of laughter. After taking a moment to collect herself, she speaks to him in a serious tone. "Really though, Cas, the truth about you and Jimmy is going to comr out eventually. What are you going to do then? Keep pretending you don't like him?"

Castiel glares at the monitor. "It's just a stupid crush. I'm sure I'll get over it soon. Besides, he's spending all this time with Benny. I highly doubt he'd be interested in me even if he knew the truth."

"Wait, who?" Jimmy exclaims, sitting up with interest.

Sinking down further in his seat, Castiel shrugs in defeat. "This dude who moved into town and started working at the Roadhouse while we were at camp. It's so obvious he's into Dean and they've been hanging out all summer so Dean's got to be into him too, right?" He sighs in frustration. "I hate him."

"No way," Jimmy reassures him. "If Dean was into this guy, we'd know. Trust me, he's not one to keep his mouth shut about a potential conquest. You didn't know about this Benny dude earlier?" His brother shakes his head. "Then there's nothing to worry about! You should go for it, bro. Tell Dean what we did, he won't breathe a word of it to anybody, not even Sammy. Then go get em, Tiger! You've got my blessing as your brother and his best feiend."

Cas scrunches up his face in thought. "You really think I should?"

"Yes!" Jimmy practically screams as Charlie nods enthusiastically beside him.

"Okay," he agrees through a shaky breath. He nods more to himself than the pair before him. "I'll talk to him."

His best friend pumps a celebratory fist in the air and Jimmy just gives him a small, satisfied smile. "Cool."

"I guess I should call him and see when he can come help me look for clues. I'll call you later and let you know how it goes." The three teens say their goodbyes and end the Skype session.

With trembling hands, Castiel takes Jimmy's phone out and calls Dean.

"Hey, Jimmy," Dean answers cheerfully a moment later.

"Hello, Dean. I was wondering if you would be able to do a favor for me sometime this week?"

"Depends on the favor, I guess, but you know if I can, I will. What's up, man?"

Castiel takes a calming breath before continuing. "I need your help breaking into my aunt's safe. Can you come over one of these days when she's at work?"

A surprised chuckle reverberates through the speaker. "Oh, I'm so down for that! Naomi got a secret stash of blood diamonds that need liberating or what?"

"It's...a long story. I'd rather discuss it in person if that's okay?"

Dean's tone quickly turns serious. "Dude, is everything okay?' His friend gives a noncommittal grunt in response. "Alright, I'm coming over first thing tomorrow. Good?"

Relief washes over Cas at Dean's willingness to help so quickly and without question. "Yes, that would be great. Thank you, Dean."

"Hey, I've always got your back, Jimmy. I'll see you around ten, sound good?"

"Yeah, sounds good. Goodnight, Dean."

"Night, Jimmy."

The line goes dead and Castiel sets the phone on his nightstand. His elevated mood is short-lived when he realizes that he still has to explain the truth of why they're snooping through Naomi's safe. The stress of the day crashes into him full force and he falls into bed, thoroughly exhausted. He just wants to get tomorrow over with, hopefully not ruining any chance he has with Dean in the process. He closes his eyes and falls into a restless sleep, thoughts of an angry and disappointed Dean haunting his dreams.

He wakes to the feeling of the mattress shifting under a new body's weight. Blinking against the light, Castiel waits for the figure sitting beside him to come into focus. "Dean? Oh, no! I overslept, didn't I?"

"It's cool, man." The teen's green eyes sparkle mischievously as he brandishes a small bundle of tools at the sleepy brunette next to him, "Let myself in." He tosses the kit on the floor before lying down beside his friend. "So, are you ready to tell me what exactly it is we're doing?"

Castiel raises his eyes to study the ceiling, knowing he won't be able to get his story out if he sees the judgement he knows he will find on the other man's face. "Yes. When I was at camp, I met someone."

"Wait!" Dean interjects. "Like 'met someone' met someone? Like how I meet someone?"

Eyes still locked on the ceiling, Cas shakes his head. "No. It will make sense, at least I hope it will, in a minute. I met someone who looked exactly like me. He'd been getting into it with this real jerk around the camp who ended up mistaking me for the other guy. That's how I ended up with the black eye." He sees Dean nod in his peripheral. "They say everyone has a doppelganger, but this guy is more than that. He's my twin."

"What?" Dean asks with a laugh. "Good one, buddy. I should have known you were someone's evil twin, huh?"

As difficult as it is for him to do, Castiel turns to face his companion. "Please, Dean. I'm serious. We are twins and we don't know why, but we were separated when we were just babies. That's why I need you to help me get into Naomi's safe. I need to find out what happened."

"Taking in the pleading look in Castiel's eyes, all the mirth disappears from Dean's face. "Shit. Jimmy, I-"

"There's one more thing," Cas interjects hesitantly. "I'm not Jimmy."


End file.
